The Graduate Perspective

Introduction

There is just something about pancakes. Their warm, airy texture melts in your mouth coated in syrup and butter. For me is reminds of me of my childhood and weekend breakfasts with my family. Typically, we would only eat them on special occasions such as birthdays or long weekends. Thus, to me pancakes are like a breakfast unicorn: very rare and delicious.

Current Technology

College brought adulthood and independence. Which meant that I could eat what I want and have breakfast for dinner if I choose.

I thought making pancakes was an ingenious idea. I bought pancake mix; the most basic kind that only required water to make the mix. Within 5-10 mins I had a nice stack of pancakes which I could enjoy, like the good ol’ days.

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It was a Saturday morning, not too long ego. I woke up and wanted nothing else but pancakes with the fresh blueberries I had just bought. As fortune would have it, I did not have any pancake mix in my pantry. Sure, I could have whipped some up with flour, sugar, eggs and any of the other necessary ingredients but that would have been too much work (haha). The rest of the day, I was on the hunt for a sophisticated pancake mix.

The Whole Food Methodology

The proceedings of the day lead me to Whole Pay-Check, I mean Whole Foods. Walking up and down the aisle you can find all sorts of interesting things and tempted to try them all. I found the pancake aisle and decided on a Buckwheat pancake mix (Arrowhead Mills). It sounded boujie and healthy, which are basically my selection criteria.

The Substance: Buckwheat

Buckwheat is not grain, a common misconception. It is actually a plant seed that is closely related to rhubarb, thus it is gluten-free. Buckwheat has many nutritional benefits: it has minerals such as manganese and various B vitamins. Also, it is rich in amino acids including lysine and uncommon nutrients such as rutin (lowers cholesterol) and tannins (antioxidants and reduce infections) (Source 1 & 2). Fun Fact: I actually ate a lot of Buckwheat when I was young without even knowing it in the form of Kasha: buckwheat that has been cooked down like rice.

 Synthesis and Assembly

The next morning, I made my Buckwheat pancakes according to the directions on the package. I added a large handful of plump blueberries. I also added 2 additional teaspoons of honey to cut the tartness from the blueberries. I was uncertain if the pancakes would be any good, because of the consistency of the mix and the taste of the buckwheat. 2/3 cup of pancake mix made about 10 medium size pancakes (3 in/7.6 cm in diameter).

Conclusion

The pancakes cooked just as quickly and easily as regular pancakes. The flavor was earthy and unexpectedly savory. Unlike regular pancake mixes, you could tell it is made with natural ingredients. The texture was coarse compared to buttermilk pancakes but still light and airy. The fresh blueberries added an exciting twist to traditional pancakes and provided a burst of tartness. Paired with a hot cup of tea, these pancakes came out a success! 10/10 would eat again!